Lanoe Hawker

Lanoe Hawker (30 December 1890-23 November 1916) was a British flying ace of World War I. He was killed in a firefight with the famous German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen in 1916.

Biography
Lanoe Hawker was born in Longparish, Hampshire, England in 1890, and he joined the British Army in 1910. In 1913, he became a member of the army's aviation wing, and he was posted to France with the Royal Flying Corps in October 1914. He was wounded in the foot from ground fire during the Second Battle of Ypres, and, in 1915, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his services. In 1916, with the rank of Major, he was given command of Britain's first fighter squadron, and he ignored the RFC's policy of banning squadron commanders from fighting. On 23 November 1916, he took part in a dogfight with two German planes over Bapaume, including Manfred von Richthofen. A bullet from Richthofen's last burst hit Hawker in the back of the head, killing him instantly. He became Richthofen's 11th victim, and the death of the legendary Hawker made Richthofen a legend himself.